More than 12,000 signatures against the recommendation… Why is there a headwind against Princess Eugene’s ‘Theory of Admission with Recommendation to the University of Tokyo’?
Which university would be appropriate for Prince Eugene, the eldest son of the Akishino family, in light of the traditions of the royal family – and where should he go to university?A wide-ranging debate is currently raging on the internet over this point.In fact, a petition has even been signed, saying that His Highness Prince Eugene, the future Emperor of Japan, should not be allowed to enter the University of Tokyo, and that he should not be allowed to enter the university on recommendation.
Prince Eugene was born in September 2006 and is now a 17-year-old senior in high school.He attends Tsukuba University High School, which is known as one of the best high schools for higher education in Japan.A reporter in charge of the case said.
The University of Tsukuba High School is known for the large number of students who go on to Tokyo University.Since His Highness Prince Eugene is about to enter university, various universities have been reported as candidates so far.And recently, reports that ‘Prince Eugene will probably use the recommendation system to enter the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Tokyo’ have become prominent.
Naturally, if this were an ordinary high school student, there would be no problem.However, when it comes to Prince Eugene, it is a different story.In any case, if things continue as they are, there is a high possibility that Prince Eugene will succeed to the throne.The Emperor, the Emperor Akihito and Prince Akishino also went on to study at Gakushuin University.Gakushuin University was established in the Meiji era (1868-1912) as a branch of the former Ministry of the Imperial Household for the purpose of educating children of the Imperial Family and noble families.
There is no small number of people who say that even if he is the future Emperor, it is important to have an environment where he can decide his own path, just like ordinary citizens.On the other hand, there are also a considerable number of people on the internet who say that ‘His Highness Prince Eugene should go to Gakushuin’, placing importance on tradition.There are also those who argue that ‘if he wants to go to the University of Tokyo, he should choose the general entrance examination instead of a recommendation’.The Imperial Family requires fairness and impartiality above all else, and there is a risk that the University of Tokyo’s “discovery” of Eugene may be discussed in the case of entrance examinations based on recommendations.Even if Prince Eugene passed the entrance examination with his ability, there is a possibility that false posts will be made on social networking sites, saying that the University of Tokyo gave him special treatment.In that case, many people are concerned that the public will still have a sense of distrust.
Fierce competition’ at the University of Tokyo
Against the backdrop of these various public opinions, there was even a petition drive to stop Eugene from entering the University of Tokyo.The media also reported on this activity in detail.For example, on 27 August, the electronic version of Josei Jijin (Women’s Own) published an article entitled “’Shaking the symbolic emperor system to its very foundations’: over 12,000 signatures against Prince Eugene’s recommendation for admission to Tokyo University…” and reported on the details of the activities.
The petition drive began in August on the internet.However, the signature website pointed out that part of the document explaining the purpose of the petition contained factual errors and slander, and the petition, including this, attracted a lot of attention on the internet, including on X.In light of these circumstances, Josei Jishin published a comment from a journalist in charge of the Imperial Household, who said: ‘The signature drive has ended after about two weeks’.
While there are certainly a number of problematic passages, there are also sentences that have attracted a great deal of support, with many people saying that they are “right on the money”.In particular, the part that pointed out the “unique school culture of Tokyo University” became a hot topic and has been spreading on the internet.Let us introduce some of them.
What Noriko and those around her do not know is that while there is fierce competition even before entering Todai, there is even fiercer competition waiting for them once they are there.
Eureka_266 on
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Differences between Tokyo University and Gakushuin
How stylish and smart can you make yourself out to be?This is the competition that awaits you after entering the University of Tokyo.The pride of being a University of Tokyo student is no longer valid when you are a University of Tokyo student.This is because you will be surrounded by other Todai students just like yourself.What happens there is a competition between Todai students over how smart they are.
The text ends by asking the question, “Is it right to throw Prince Eugene into this world of cutthroat competition?The sentence ends by asking the question.
‘I am sure there are many different opinions on this description.However, the fact that the University of Tokyo today and the former Tokyo Imperial University were educational institutions for training elite bureaucrats in order to catch up with the Western powers is still significant.Under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan, it could be said that they were universities for training the Emperor’s “subjects” and had nothing to do with “imperialism” in the least.Unless, moreover, serious problems were pointed out with the educational attitude of Gakushuin University, His Majesty the Emperor also graduated from Gakushuin University and, as you know, is held in high esteem by the people.
In fact, Mako Komuro, the eldest daughter of the Akishino family, also graduated from ICU, not Gakushuin.Their second daughter, Kako, also entered Gakushuin University, but dropped out and went on to ICU again.Some articles from the perspective of “Does the Akishino family dislike Gakushuin?”A considerable number of articles from the perspective of “Does the Akishino family dislike Gakushuin?
A tradition that will not disappear easily.
On 25 October 2021, Daily Shincho also distributed an article entitled ‘If Princess Mako had attended Gakushuin University instead of ICU… an issue closely related to the fluctuation in the Japanese view of the Imperial Family’.
In the article, Imperial Household journalist Shuichi Kanda was interviewed and provided a clear explanation of ‘the meaning and value of the Imperial Family attending Gakushuin University’.And if ICU is replaced by the University of Tokyo, it fits perfectly with the issue of Princess Eugene.
Furthermore, Ms Kanda was a part-time lecturer at Gakushuin Women’s University from 2006 to 2003.As a journalist for the Imperial Household, she not only knew Gakushuin from the outside, but also from the inside.Here are some of the points Kanda made in the article.
“I would like to reiterate that the current Gakushuin is not an educational institution for the Imperial Family or noble families.Anyone can enter if they apply and pass the entrance examination.However, when I started working here, I was told by a person concerned that ‘more than 150 years have passed since the capital moved to Tokyo in 1868, but I believe that Kyoto still retains the atmosphere in which the emperor’s family lived’.Even though the Gakushuin was opened to the public after the war, the traditions of the past do not disappear so easily.
Kanda says he sensed the ‘Gakushuin tradition’ in various situations, but what left a particularly strong impression on him was the security aspect.
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‘Scandals that wouldn’t happen at Gakushuin’
“Both Gakushuin University and Gakushuin Women’s University had a number of places where, when walking around the campuses, you could say, ‘It would be easy for plain-clothes police officers to hide there’.In fact, there was thorough information sharing on suspicious persons.The fact that the royal family attended the university helped to build up a response plan, and the accumulated know-how was used to protect the general student population.
Gakushuin University has a high awareness of crisis management.This is one word for it.Here are some comments from the reporter in charge.
 “I have interviewed a police official who told me that Gakushuin University’s campus is designed with security in mind, with SP conduits secured and so on.On the other hand, in May 2007, a man broke into the junior high school attached to Ochanomizu University, which Princess Eugene attends, and placed a knife on Princess Eugene’s desk.From the outset, it was said to be ‘a scandal that would never happen at Gakushuin’.
It is very interesting that Eugene’s name also appears in terms of security.Let us return again to Mr Kanda’s point.
He says: “There are no members of the Imperial Family attending Gakushuin University today.However, the staff who have memories of the Emperor and the Emperor’s study are still alive and well, and the professors mention this to the students on a regular basis.Not only does tradition not disappear easily, but there is also a high awareness of the need to preserve tradition within the Gakushuin”.
The power of tradition
As a reporter, Mr Kanda has covered Gakushuin’s primary school.At that time, he was left with a strong impression of the way the school treated the royal family while he was there.
“When members of the royal family arrived at school, the headmaster and vice-principal would come out to greet them, albeit in a casual manner.Ordinary children were not given such ‘special treatment’.Although it was not VIP treatment, it was a glimpse of the fact that not all children are treated equally.I was impressed by the subtlety with which they did it, and I thought to myself, ‘So that’s the power of tradition’.”
Will the people’s wish for tradition to be preserved be heeded?
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Which university would be appropriate for Prince Eugene, the eldest son of the Akishino family, in light of the traditions of the royal family – and where should he go to university?A wide-ranging debate is currently raging on the internet over this point.In fact, a petition has even been signed, saying that His Highness Prince Eugene, the future Emperor of Japan, should not be allowed to enter the University of Tokyo, and that he should not be allowed to enter the university on recommendation.
Prince Eugene was born in September 2006 and is now a 17-year-old senior in high school.He attends Tsukuba University High School, which is known as one of the best high schools for higher education in Japan.A reporter in charge of the case said.
The University of Tsukuba High School is known for the large number of students who go on to Tokyo University.Since His Highness Prince Eugene is about to enter university, various universities have been reported as candidates so far.And recently, reports that ‘Prince Eugene will probably use the recommendation system to enter the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Tokyo’ have become prominent.
Naturally, if this were an ordinary high school student, there would be no problem.However, when it comes to Prince Eugene, it is a different story.In any case, if things continue as they are, there is a high possibility that Prince Eugene will succeed to the throne.The Emperor, the Emperor Akihito and Prince Akishino also went on to study at Gakushuin University.Gakushuin University was established in the Meiji era (1868-1912) as a branch of the former Ministry of the Imperial Household for the purpose of educating children of the Imperial Family and noble families.
There is no small number of people who say that even if he is the future Emperor, it is important to have an environment where he can decide his own path, just like ordinary citizens.On the other hand, there are also a considerable number of people on the internet who say that ‘His Highness Prince Eugene should go to Gakushuin’, placing importance on tradition.There are also those who argue that ‘if he wants to go to the University of Tokyo, he should choose the general entrance examination instead of a recommendation’.The Imperial Family requires fairness and impartiality above all else, and there is a risk that the University of Tokyo’s “discovery” of Eugene may be discussed in the case of entrance examinations based on recommendations.Even if Prince Eugene passed the entrance examination with his ability, there is a possibility that false posts will be made on social networking sites, saying that the University of Tokyo gave him special treatment.In that case, many people are concerned that the public will still have a sense of distrust.
Fierce competition’ at the University of Tokyo
Against the backdrop of these various public opinions, there was even a petition drive to stop Eugene from entering the University of Tokyo.The media also reported on this activity in detail.For example, on 27 August, the electronic version of Josei Jijin (Women’s Own) published an article entitled “’Shaking the symbolic emperor system to its very foundations’: over 12,000 signatures against Prince Eugene’s recommendation for admission to Tokyo University…” and reported on the details of the activities.
The petition drive began in August on the internet.However, the signature website pointed out that part of the document explaining the purpose of the petition contained factual errors and slander, and the petition, including this, attracted a lot of attention on the internet, including on X.In light of these circumstances, Josei Jishin published a comment from a journalist in charge of the Imperial Household, who said: ‘The signature drive has ended after about two weeks’.
While there are certainly a number of problematic passages, there are also sentences that have attracted a great deal of support, with many people saying that they are “right on the money”.In particular, the part that pointed out the “unique school culture of Tokyo University” became a hot topic and has been spreading on the internet.Let us introduce some of them.
What Noriko and those around her do not know is that while there is fierce competition even before entering Todai, there is even fiercer competition waiting for them once they are there.
Page 2:
Differences between Tokyo University and Gakushuin
How stylish and smart can you make yourself out to be?This is the competition that awaits you after entering the University of Tokyo.The pride of being a University of Tokyo student is no longer valid when you are a University of Tokyo student.This is because you will be surrounded by other Todai students just like yourself.What happens there is a competition between Todai students over how smart they are.
The text ends by asking the question, “Is it right to throw Prince Eugene into this world of cutthroat competition?The sentence ends by asking the question.
‘I am sure there are many different opinions on this description.However, the fact that the University of Tokyo today and the former Tokyo Imperial University were educational institutions for training elite bureaucrats in order to catch up with the Western powers is still significant.Under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan, it could be said that they were universities for training the Emperor’s “subjects” and had nothing to do with “imperialism” in the least.Unless, moreover, serious problems were pointed out with the educational attitude of Gakushuin University, His Majesty the Emperor also graduated from Gakushuin University and, as you know, is held in high esteem by the people.
In fact, Mako Komuro, the eldest daughter of the Akishino family, also graduated from ICU, not Gakushuin.Their second daughter, Kako, also entered Gakushuin University, but dropped out and went on to ICU again.Some articles from the perspective of “Does the Akishino family dislike Gakushuin?”A considerable number of articles from the perspective of “Does the Akishino family dislike Gakushuin?
A tradition that will not disappear easily.
On 25 October 2021, Daily Shincho also distributed an article entitled ‘If Princess Mako had attended Gakushuin University instead of ICU… an issue closely related to the fluctuation in the Japanese view of the Imperial Family’.
In the article, Imperial Household journalist Shuichi Kanda was interviewed and provided a clear explanation of ‘the meaning and value of the Imperial Family attending Gakushuin University’.And if ICU is replaced by the University of Tokyo, it fits perfectly with the issue of Princess Eugene.
Furthermore, Ms Kanda was a part-time lecturer at Gakushuin Women’s University from 2006 to 2003.As a journalist for the Imperial Household, she not only knew Gakushuin from the outside, but also from the inside.Here are some of the points Kanda made in the article.
“I would like to reiterate that the current Gakushuin is not an educational institution for the Imperial Family or noble families.Anyone can enter if they apply and pass the entrance examination.However, when I started working here, I was told by a person concerned that ‘more than 150 years have passed since the capital moved to Tokyo in 1868, but I believe that Kyoto still retains the atmosphere in which the emperor’s family lived’.Even though the Gakushuin was opened to the public after the war, the traditions of the past do not disappear so easily.
Kanda says he sensed the ‘Gakushuin tradition’ in various situations, but what left a particularly strong impression on him was the security aspect.
Page 3:
‘Scandals that wouldn’t happen at Gakushuin’
“Both Gakushuin University and Gakushuin Women’s University had a number of places where, when walking around the campuses, you could say, ‘It would be easy for plain-clothes police officers to hide there’.In fact, there was thorough information sharing on suspicious persons.The fact that the royal family attended the university helped to build up a response plan, and the accumulated know-how was used to protect the general student population.
Gakushuin University has a high awareness of crisis management.This is one word for it.Here are some comments from the reporter in charge.
 “I have interviewed a police official who told me that Gakushuin University’s campus is designed with security in mind, with SP conduits secured and so on.On the other hand, in May 2007, a man broke into the junior high school attached to Ochanomizu University, which Princess Eugene attends, and placed a knife on Princess Eugene’s desk.From the outset, it was said to be ‘a scandal that would never happen at Gakushuin’.
It is very interesting that Eugene’s name also appears in terms of security.Let us return again to Mr Kanda’s point.
He says: “There are no members of the Imperial Family attending Gakushuin University today.However, the staff who have memories of the Emperor and the Emperor’s study are still alive and well, and the professors mention this to the students on a regular basis.Not only does tradition not disappear easily, but there is also a high awareness of the need to preserve tradition within the Gakushuin”.
The power of tradition
As a reporter, Mr Kanda has covered Gakushuin’s primary school.At that time, he was left with a strong impression of the way the school treated the royal family while he was there.
“When members of the royal family arrived at school, the headmaster and vice-principal would come out to greet them, albeit in a casual manner.Ordinary children were not given such ‘special treatment’.Although it was not VIP treatment, it was a glimpse of the fact that not all children are treated equally.I was impressed by the subtlety with which they did it, and I thought to myself, ‘So that’s the power of tradition’.”
Will the people’s wish for tradition to be preserved be heeded?
Daily Shincho editorial department